Don't be a bad tipper

[Ionait]

The thing is, I, as a consumer of whatever food I wish to indulge in, shouldn't have to take responsibility for someone else's paycheck. If you're going to make an argument about why consumers should tip well, you have no right to include that their employers just don't pay them well enough. They ARE paid horrible, horrible wages. But honestly, that's not my problem.

My husband and I LOVE over tipping for awesome service. If we frequent the establishment, we usually continue to receive awesome service. It makes for an awesome time.

But if the service is horrible, never do I stop and think "wait, I shouldn't just leave a dollar, she probably has children to feed". And neither should anybody else. Period.

Working is hard. As a member of wait staff, you are customer service. If you can't hide your pain, put on a smile, and make some nice conversation (basically, be a wonderful actor), especially during your busiest hours, you won't be tipped well. Sorry.

On the other hand, if you are a wonderful actor and make me and my dinner party feel like we're the only ones dining there that evening despite you having umpteen tables, I'll probably tip you well more than a sane person should.

 

[UberNoodle]

anybody who doesn't feel the need to tip, do me a favor. go get a job as a server for 1 month. just 1. then at the end of that one month, tell me you don't feel differently.

here in Pennsylvania, servers make $3.86 an hour plus tips. tips generally get cut for tip out to the bussers and hosts, depending on where you work.

at the end of all this number shuffling, yeah, servers make pretty good money if they do their jobs well at the right establishment, but i can promise you, they earn that money.


seriously. if you can't afford the 20% for that overworked underpaid server, then don't go out to eat. order a pizza and tip the delivery boy $2.

Here in Japan I have never been served badly or had attitude from a server. Every time, the staff greet with enthusiasm and respect. They serve to their best and they smile. There's never an attitude that if the day sucks that the customer can bear the disgruntlement. If a customer is difficult, so to is there not some attitude to punish him or her. In contrast, back home, I get regular occurances of 'my day sucks, so should yours' attitudes from service staff. What, are they in highschool? Service jobs exist to serve. That is their nature and they don't need a reward from customers besides thank yous and appreciation. The reward should come from their employers, and if they are too content with a greedy system set up to exploit workers, then you all have my pity. I have never tipped and I will avoid situations where I have to. Thank god tipping in this country is only at a few hotels and restaurants that I would never pay the extortionate prices to stay or dine at.

 

[MasterOfWorlds]

I usually tip well. I tip at least 15%, but usually closer to 20%. I tip an extra dollar if they ask to see ID if I pay with a card. I drink fast, so if my server keeps my drink from getting empty assuming that they're not slammed, I tip more. I've had servers bring me two glasses and one even brought a pitcher of tea for me. I tipped them over 20%. If they're nice and give me good service, I tip well.

Of course, both my parents were in the restaurant business for a bit before they finally got out, so I'm a little soft hearted when it comes to servers. I will never not them unless the service is absolutely horrible though. I'll always tip, the lowest tip I think I gave was about 10% or so, and that was pretty bad service.

 

[TehCookie]

anybody who doesn't feel the need to tip, do me a favor. go get a job as a server for 1 month. just 1. then at the end of that one month, tell me you don't feel differently.

here in Pennsylvania, servers make $3.86 an hour plus tips. tips generally get cut for tip out to the bussers and hosts, depending on where you work.

at the end of all this number shuffling, yeah, servers make pretty good money if they do their jobs well at the right establishment, but i can promise you, they earn that money.


seriously. if you can't afford the 20% for that overworked underpaid server, then don't go out to eat. order a pizza and tip the delivery boy $2.

I feel like I shouldn't have to tip, their employer should pay them minimum wage. Since they don't I give them tips, but I rather not.

 

[Charisma]

if i have money to spare i tip well, unless the server was bad. i've been in a tip-worthy job and big tips really help out, psychologically.

 

[martyrdrebel27]

anybody who doesn't feel the need to tip, do me a favor. go get a job as a server for 1 month. just 1. then at the end of that one month, tell me you don't feel differently.

here in Pennsylvania, servers make $3.86 an hour plus tips. tips generally get cut for tip out to the bussers and hosts, depending on where you work.

at the end of all this number shuffling, yeah, servers make pretty good money if they do their jobs well at the right establishment, but i can promise you, they earn that money.


seriously. if you can't afford the 20% for that overworked underpaid server, then don't go out to eat. order a pizza and tip the delivery boy $2.

I feel like I shouldn't have to tip, their employer should pay them minimum wage. Since they don't I give them tips, but I rather not.

okay, but just because you feel like the employer should pay more doesn't mean they're going to... either let management know your dissatisfaction by not going to restaurants that operate that way (ALL OF THEM) or tip right. just because you don't believe in how management operates doesn't mean that you should make these people suffer. i know you say you do, i'm just responding to this attitude in general because i've heard this too many times.

 

[kokirisoldier]

I tip a little more than 20%. Because I know my job kicks more ass than their job.

 

[Arsen]

Depends upon many circumstances:

- Connecting with the customer.
- Being extremely friendly.
- Being polite and on time.
- Make me smile.

If you can't do that you don't deserve a tip. It's a very basic, down to earth idea in terms of relating to people. Everytime I get a coffee I tip the people who are generous. Reap the rewards if you follow the rules.

As a sidenote, never do a bare minimum job as well.

 

[Thee Prisoner]

In the U.S., waiters tips are taxed automatically 8% off the total of the bill and then the tips are spread out to hosts, busboys, and bartenders. That doesn't leave much.

I usually tip 20.

 

[tjcross]

i tip based on these factors
-politeness
-being on time
-attitude
it's a 5% tip for each point +5% if all three are done.

 

[Gindil]

Normal service really shouldn't get a tip either, as it's not my job to pay somebody's wages if they aren't working for me, but since one guy here or there not tipping isn't going to change the stupid way that wage laws work, I do it anyway.

Great service means better tip, of course.

Problem is that some waiter(ess) jobs pay the bare minimum. People can survive off of one or two bad tips but I see your point.

If they are really that good at their job, they do deserve more. If not, they need to figure out what their own problem is.

 

[Fuselage]

I see no reason to tip them at all personally.

And because this will inevitably come up:

The Reservoir Dog's Tipping Scene:

Damn, Ninja'd.
I don't tip that much unless they are really good.

 

[Denamic]

Here in Sweden, everything's so damn expensive that if you were to tip 20%, no one would afford eating out.
Besides, no one gives or expects tips here anyway.
Doesn't really make sense.
Like when I worked at retail.
I helped customers all the time.
I spent many times the time and effort a waiter/waitress would spend on their customers.
I had to read and basically study each and every item in the store on a daily basis just to be able to do that.
And would anyone ever think to tip people in retail?
Of course not. So why are waiters/waitresses special?

 

[dorkette1990]

I tip very well, mostly because I've starved before. It makes you generous when you have cash, and most restaurant workers don't. Plus, I go out to eat frequently at the same places, so I like to have a camaraderie with waiters.

Although, if service is VERY bad (as it was once - the waitress deliberately ignored us several times when we tried to flag her down as well as being outright rude) I like to leave a few pennies on the counter, so it's clear I do tip but her service was THAT bad.
Yeah, I'm passive aggressive.

 

[William Dickbringer]

Last night I went out to eat with a friend. We decided to get one huge thing for 2 and split it. All on one check. In the end after tax it was about 35$. The service was definitely not bad. Maybe slightly above average.

I asked him to give me 3.5$ since it should be a 7$ tip. According to the regular 20%. He refused and said he was giving 2$. I said did you think she did a bad job? And he says no she was pretty good. I said so why then? He just says because I'm not giving more and ended the conversation there. Other countries might have different etiquette but in the US if they did well they should get 20%.

I've never worked in the restraunt business but I'm sure they despise bad tippers. Especially if they did a good job. Please don't be a bad tipper.

I can't really think of a reason to be cheap unless it was bad service. Am I missing something?

I know what you mean my step dad never tips past $3 even if they do good job

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

I wonder how many of the anti-tipping people in this thread are from countries where a gratuity is generally included in the bill, instead of a place like the U.S., where the minimum wage is ridiculously low, and wait staff get paid even less before tips. I generally tip at least 15%, or 20% if the service is good. More often than not, a 15% tip from me is a sign that the service was bad, as opposed to a 20% tip being a sign of exceptional service. This probably has a lot to do with my average meal ticket being around $10, making a 20% tip add a negligible amount to the total cost. Insert foreveraloneguy.jpg here, because yes, this means that I rarely pay for anyone's meal but my own -- I eat out with my roommates a lot, but I haven't had a date in way too long.